The present invention relates to an automatic disc changer having a disc player and a plurality of recording mediums such as optical discs stored therein so that the discs are automatically reproduced. More particularly, the invention relates to a carrier for transporting the disc player to a position for playing a desired disc.
There is known an automatic disc changer wherein a plurality of CDs are stored, and a desired CD is automatically taken out and transported to a disc player to be reproduced.
Referring to FIGS. 12a to 12c, an example of a conventional automatic disc changer has a disc storing section 103 wherein a magazine (not shown) holding a plurality of CDs 101, six in the present case, is disposed. The magazine has a plurality of horizontal trays 102, in each of which is disposed one CD, aligned in the vertical direction at a predetermined interval. A disc player 104 is provided adjacent the storing section 103 so that one of the CDs 101 can be pulled out of the magazine and carried to the disc player 104.
The disc player 104 comprises a turntable 105 mounted on a chassis 107 for rotating the CD 101, and a damper 106 for clamping the CD 101 on the turntable 105 during reproduction.
When a select switch (not shown) is operated to play one of the CDs 101, the disc player 104 is vertically moved along the alignment of the CDs 101 from the position shown in FIG. 12a to a position shown in FIG. 12b where the tray 102 holding a selected CD 101 is stored. A tray drawing device (not shown) in the disc player 104 draws out the designated tray 102 and carries the tray to a playing position between the turntable 105 and the clamper 106, as shown in FIG. 12b. The turntable 105 and the damper 106, in cooperation, hold the CD 101 therebetween so that the CD 101 is released from the tray 102 as shown in FIG. 12c. Hence the CD 101 is rotated by the operation of a motor (not shown) of the disc player 104 and a pickup (not shown) reproduces the information recorded on the CD.
The disc player 104 is thus provided with a carrier means for vertically moving the player, which is shown in FIGS. 13a and 13b. As shown in FIGS. 13a and 13b, vertical grooves 109 are formed in opposite side walls 112 of a casing of the disc changer. A pair of horizontally slideable plates 111 each having a diagonal groove 110 are disposed against the opposite side walls 112 of the casing so that the diagonal groove 110 and the vertical groove 109 cross each other. A chassis 107, which supports the turntable 105, is provided with a pair of pins 108 projecting sideways from the opposite sides of the chassis as shown in FIG. 13b. Each pin 108 engages the vertical groove 109 of the wall 112 and the diagonal groove 110 of the slidable plate 111 at the crossing of the grooves, so that the chassis 107 is held between the two opposite walls 112 of the casing.
When the slidable plates 111 simultaneously slide horizontally in the lateral direction thereof in accordance with the operation of a driving means (not shown), the pins 108 in the diagonal grooves 110 ascend or descend along the grooves 109 and 110. Thus, the chassis 107 supported by the pins 108 is vertically elevated or lowered. Although not specifically shown in the figures, a controller is provided to control the operation of the driving means. The disc player 4 is stopped at an appropriate position confronting the tray 102 with the selected CD 101.
Hence in the conventional disc changer, the disc player 104 is moved in the aligning direction of the CDs 101 and stopped at the desired position facing the tray 102 having the selected CD 101. The tray 102 is then drawn out and set in the disc player 104 to play the CD 101.
It is advantageous to the user of such a disc changer to increase the number of the CDs to be stored therein, because the trouble of exchanging the CDs is reduced. In order to increase the number of CDs 101, the volume of the magazine must be increased. As a result, the length of the alignment of the CDs is increased, inevitably increasing the traveling distance of the disc player 104.
Namely, a longer diagonal groove 110 must be formed in each slidable plate 111, rendering the sliding distance of the slidable plates longer. Accordingly, the size of the entire disc changer is enlarged so that the place where the disc changer can be disposed becomes restricted. Particularly in the case of an automotive disc changer, it is difficult to secure a sufficiently large space for the disc changer in a limited space of a vehicle.